The Hutchinson News from Hutchinson, Kansas · Page 38

lit Other Words Editorial Find Your 'Human Power' By BERNEIL JUHNKE McPherson High School Believe it or not the symbol of the Women's Liberation Movement is not the smoldering bra shooting sparks in the direction of every white male supremicists. Nor is the movement buried in the trivia of whether or not to open a car door for a member of the opposite sex or who should offer whom a cigar or how carefully should a wolf whistle be administered, etc., etc., etc. And if it's not stretching the mind's credulity too far, the movement is not 6trictly for women. For as one "Good Guy" said (you'll note the adjective Good connotes a feeling drastically unlike hatred toward men), "I personally believe mat until women j are liberated, men cannot be liberated either. As I see mem, the basic issues of the movement — child care centers, abortion laws, welfare regulations, property laws, work laws and the endless inconveniences of sex discrimination that have been arbitrarily or not so arbitrarily set up by men •-are worthy of attack and reform by women forced to be dependent in a society that has never realized woman's intellectual and political potential. But both internal and external obstacles must be removed — in one case laws must be reformed, in another aspect inherrent cultural beliefs must be revalued. How many hours a week does an average high school female spend on hair, makeup and clothes because she feels she must per* petuate her "feminine role" and then systematically goes out and undermines herself to boost "his" ego? How often do these females feel truly self-confident In the academic arena when It comes to verbal ex* preaekm? Or do we just "shut up" in awa of the male 's master miad? Sow many males of the earns a* fend* at era dlenMafkd Hi* their continual struggle to "prove" therasclvta athletically or to support the "hard guy" image supposedly reflecting "masculinity?" Even more frightening, how many of us will never realize our potential as human beings interacting freely and equally with others because we have so "perpetuated the myth" (that women are inferior to men) that both sexes in turn are consciously or unconsciously out to prove the myth's validity? As Betty Friedan, author of the "Feminine Mystique" wrote, "The new women's participation movement has one transcending, permanent, irreversible end, which will remain after all the issues on our present agenda have been won. Whether or not we succeed in electing a hundred women to Congress and the state houses ki all fifty states, or hundreds more to city and county offices and party committees, hundreds of thousands of us will experience the political passion of finding our own unsuspected . . . human power." Miller Using Youth As Stepping Stone (Editorial first appeared in The Sunflower, Wichita State University's student newspaper. — Ed.) We wonder how much longer parents, young people and other thinking citizens of this state are going to tolerate the antics of Vera Miller and the sensationalizing of them by the news media. Kansas' publicity-crazy attorney general is doing an excellent job of building a political, career by playing Russian roulette with the reputations and careers of dozens and dozens of young Kansans. We abhor and find utterly contemptible the conduct of Miller's "dru« raids" and the sensational manner in which the news media has reported them. When the attorney general's efflee a couple of years ago (before Miner's time), brought price fhdag charges aeaiait a dozen state aUk eempaaies far allegedly bilking the Wichita tod several ether school districts tat of taeasaaat and thousands of dollars, we saw no pictures of the business executives who were accused in those alleged swindles. Where were the flash bulbs and camera crews then? Why weren't their names splashed all over page one? Neither Miller nor the news media seems the least bit concerned about what they might be doing to a whole generation of young Kansans, most of whom will remain in. this state and attempt to build a future. They seem little concerned that they are alienating young people. There has been a lot of talk in recent years about the disaffection of the young and this is one time where we think their disaffection is fully justified. What happens to the individual who unwittingly drops by to borrow a cup of sugar from a neighbor who is on Miller's "bust agenda"? His picture may wind up on the evening news. His name, and possibly a photo, may even make it to the front page of his hometown newspaper. Will this person's name ever be publicly cleared? Of course the answer is no. The press doesn't do too much in the way of follow-up coverage when it concerns the aftermath of one of Miller's blitz attacks. VEltN MILLER — Publicity Cray? All too often an innocent victim must defend himself against a "where there's smoke there's fire" rationale. Smoking marijuana is, of course, against the law. But upholding the law is one thing. Building a political career over the broken futures of young Kansans is quite another. And Miller is being aided and abetted by the local news media in their misguided zeal to have something sensational to put on page one. We listened and wanted to beHeve Vern when he told us about "equal enforcement" of Kansas laws. He proved those promises were all rhetoric when he started his well publicized and sadly impotent "crack down" on boozing at football games. Vern Miller's drug raids are cheap publicity shots; it's time Kansans woke up to it and put a stop to it... We are not, by condemning Miller's antics and their press coverage, condoning law breaking. We are simply saying law enforcement as practiced by Miller and as reported by the press is discriminatory, unprofessional and degrading to this state and its citizens. Speak Easy Answer in Ourselves By DAVE BRULL Hays High School America is on her death bed dying while we naively hold her long-needed medicine in our hands. She's been infected with a number of viruses more deadly than arsenic. Apathy, bigotry, racism, and poverty are but a few of the poisons. After putting off long enough the cause of the conditions this country is suffering from, it's time we opened our eyes. If we look in the right direction we'll only see ourselves. It's easy to go forever blaming someone else; the defeatest attitude this country has created is the major symptom of the cancer. What we have Is worth saving, Imperfect as it may be. It's ear job to work • • • 'Ike New Army' Page2A r ^Sj Hutchinson News FiMey, Oct k, Wl towards perfection, and that means more than just talking about it. That means actio*. Hunger won't be stopped by discussing it over a bacon and tomato on toast. Poverty won't cease because of sympathy for it through a cadillac window, and showing concern for the drug problem over a beer with the boys won't make it either. Getting out of a shell and getting something done is not a suggestion for bias, but only for participation. With the voting age now lowered to 18 a great number of young people can register to vote, yet they aren't Now is the time to prepare for that first ballot, by learning about the choices. Learniag ike truth about our country and its leaders can provide youth with a chance te make a wise decisiou. Another word that seemingly escapes the American vocabulary is compassion. Stop and try to understand a person, instead of rationalizing too quickly. People have to sacrifice a bit to really care about those around them. These are but a few of the medicines we have within our reach for those poisons, we might be surprised to find we have • cure-all.